Jesus wants us to tap into His love
His love that He has shared with us
His grace that He has given us
His forgiveness that He has extended to us
And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us,
and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God
for a sweetsmelling savour. Ephesians 5:2
Paul was an excellent example for Christ
when he demonstrated God’s love and grace
to the prison guard who was about to kill himself
While Paul could have escaped and cared for his own life,
Paul gave love in the form of charity to the prison guard
and the prison guard then wanted to be saved
And the multitude rose up together against them:
and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.
And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison,
and made their feet fast in the stocks.
And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God:
and the prisoners heard them.
And suddenly there was a great earthquake,
so that the foundations of the prison were shaken:
and immediately all the doors were opened,
and every one’s bands were loosed.
And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep,
and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword,
and would have killed himself,
supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying,
Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling,
and fell down before Paul and Silas,
And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
Acts 16:22-30
When we extend grace to others, it exemplifies the goodness of God
It is also honors God
Or despisest thou the riches of His goodness
and forbearance and longsuffering;
not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
Romans 2:4
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another;
as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. John 13:34
Love in our own strength is futile
That is not the kind of love that can love our enemies
and do good to those who abuse us
The love of Christ has been poured in those whose hearts are willing
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you,
do good to them that hate you, and pray for them
which despitefully use you, and persecute you; Matthew 5:44
If I have not love, I’m but a clanging cymbal and sounding brass.
If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don’t have love,
I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
1 Corinthians 13:1 WEB
Who wants to be a clanging cymbal?
When we are not walking in love, we are not pleasing God
and people can see through us
They may reject us anyway, but not walking in love is not helping God
So, give of God’s love freely as it has been given to you